Thielemann made his US debut during the 1991–1992 season in a new production of
Strauss'Elektra in San Francisco. Subsequent engagements at the
Metropolitan Opera in New York followed. In 1997, he became Generalmusikdirektor of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. A report in 2000 stated that Thielemann was to leave the Deutsche Oper in 2001 over artistic conflicts with the then-incoming artistic director
Udo Zimmermann.[4] Thielemann remained with the company until 2004, when he resigned over conflicts regarding Berlin city funding between the Deutsche Oper and the
Staatsoper Unter den Linden.[5]
Thielemann became principal conductor and music director of the
Munich Philharmonic in September 2004. He stepped down from his Munich post in 2011, after disputes with orchestra management over final approval of selection of guest conductors and programs for the orchestra.[6]
In October 2009, the
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden announced the appointment of Thielemann as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2012/13 season.[7] His current contract with Dresden was through 2019.[8] In November 2017, the Staatskapelle Dresden announced the extension of Thielemann's contract as chief conductor through 31 July 2024.[9] In 2020, Thielemann was appointed honorary professor at the Carl Maria von Weber Academy of Music in Dresden. [10] In May 2021, Barbara Klepsch, the Culture Minister of Saxony, announced that Thielemann is to conclude his tenure with the Staatskapelle Dresden at the close of his current contract, at the end of July 2024.[11]
Thielemann was artistic director of the
Salzburg Easter Festival from 2013 to 2022. In January 2023, Thielemann stepped in as an emergency substitute conductor for
Daniel Barenboim in a new production of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen at the
Staatsoper Unter den Linden. In September 2023, the Berlin Senate and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden announced the appointment of Thielemann as its next Generalmusikdirektor (GMD), effective 1 September 2024.[1][12][13]
Thielemann has been a regular conductor at the
Bayreuth Festival, following his début in 2000 with Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and at the
Salzburg Festival.[14] With the decision in September 2008 of the Richard Wagner Festival Foundation to appoint
Katharina Wagner and
Eva Wagner-Pasquier to succeed
Wolfgang Wagner as directors of the Bayreuth Festival, Thielemann was named musical advisor.[15] In June 2015, the Bayreuth Festival formally announced the appointment of Thielemann as its music director.[16] With his conducting of Lohengrin in 2018, Thielemann became the second conductor, after
Felix Mottl, to conduct the ten canonical operas by Richard Wagner that are regularly performed at the Bayreuth Festival. Thielemann stood down from the Bayreuth Festival post in 2020.[13]
In 2003, Thielemann was awarded the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz).[17] In October 2011, he received honorary membership of the
Royal Academy of Music in London. In 2015, Thielemann won the Richard Wagner Award (Richard-Wagner-Preis) of Leipzig.[18] He served in the
Humanitas Programme as Visiting Professor in Opera Studies at Oxford University in January 2016. In 2019, he made his first conducting appearance in the
New Year's Concert with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,[19][20] and returned there to conduct the 2024 concert.[21]
Robert Schumann,
Symphony No.2, Overture Manfred, Concert for 4 Horns, Op. 86, Philharmonia Orchestra, September 1997
Ludwig van Beethoven, Funeral Cantata on the Death of the Emperor Joseph II, Robert Schumann, Konzertstück, Op. 86, for 4 Horns and Orchestra,
Hans Pfitzner, Palestrina (Preludes to acts 1 and 2), 1997
Christian Thielemann, documentary film, Germany, 2012, directed by Mathias Siebert, produced by Bremedia Produktion,
Radio Bremen,
MDR, in the serial Deutschland, deine Künstler.[22]
Christian Thielemann – Romantischer Querkopf, documentary film by Felix Schmidt, 2007, produced by FTS Media and Unitel, coproduced by Classica
Through the Night with
Christoph Schlingensief and Christian Thielemann (Durch die Nacht mit ...), documentary film, Germany, 2002, directed by: Edda Baumann-von Broen and Daniel Finkernagel, produced by: avanti media,
ZDF and
arte.[23]
Productions with Thielemann
Frederick the Great Remix (Der Große Friedrich Remix – Musik um den Preußenkönig), directed by Friederike Schlumbom, Oktober 18, 2012,
Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg
Discovering Beethoven (Beethoven entdecken), documentary TV serial, Germany, Austria, 2011, directed by Christoph Engel and Anca-Monica Pandelea, produced by: Unitel Classica,
ORF,
ZDF,
3sat Joachim Kaiser and Christian Thielemann talk about Beethoven's nine symphonies.[24]
Wagner Birthday Concert: Thielemann conducts the
Staatskapelle Dresden(Wagner-Geburtstagskonzert: Thielemann dirigiert die Sächsische Staatskapelle), recording of Mai 21, 2013, directed by: Michael Beyer,
ZDF
Summer Night Music with Christian Thielemann (Sommernachtsmusik mit Christian Thielemann), Christian Thielemann conducts the
Munich Philharmonic,
Herrenchiemsee Palace, 31 August 2010, directed by Henning Kasten, ZDF and
Arte[25]
2012: Honorary doctorate from the
KU Leuven, Belgium
2015: Richard Wagner Award (Richard-Wagner-Preis)
Publications
Kilian Heck; Christian Thielemann (2006). Friedrichstein. Das Schloss der Grafen von Dönhoff in Ostpreußen. Munich/Berlin:
Deutscher Kunstverlag.
ISBN978-3-422-06593-2.
Christian Thielemann, Mein Leben mit Wagner. Munich: Beck, 2012,
ISBN978-3-406-63446-8